Lima, described by many as a poverty-stricken, over-populated and dirty city, is not many people‘s first choice of location for family living.  Parts of the city are constantly pocketed by smog, the pollution is inhaled with every breath, the traffic is near unbearable and there is the constant need to remain vigilant about your personal belongings- and your little person!

My little person, aged 18 months, is pale-skinned with blonde-hair and big blue-eyes.  This is a look that tends to stand out in certain neighborhoods over here.  Within the first week of our arrival to Lima, we took a family outing one evening to Parque de la Reserva, a circuit of waterfalls decorated with coloured lights, located in downtown Lima.  In one area of the circuit there is a small incline and there were lots of toddlers and children giggling as they rolled down.  We took Mikayla out of her pram and let her crawl to the top, when we suddenly became aware that many people were watching her, waving to her and taking photos of her!  She happily obliged, calling out “Hola!” and waving like royalty, however it was a moment that struck a chord in the protective nature of my husband and I when we realised that Mikayla no longer blended in as she had in Australia.

 ...I could never have imagined that ten years on I would be living in, and what's more, raising a child in Lima, Peru.

The cultural differences related to child raising in Latin America vary greatly from Australia, and this has been an ongoing challenge for me.  These differences include a belief by many in superstitions (Mikayla has been “cured” more than once!), the prevalence of what many Australians would describe as old-wives tales and, particularly, differences in opinions regarding levels of protection and independence. I feel that I am constantly being criticised for being too relaxed about some things and too strict about other things, yet I don't want to compromise what I believe to be best practice in order to appear more culturally sensitive.   

Some examples:  Toddlers over here frequently play with an adult (often a nanny) within an arm's reach so that they don't fall over; they tend to wear a lot more clothes than the children in Australia to make sure that they don't catch a cold; they are spoon-fed till they have sufficient fine motor control to eat without spilling anything; and routines are often considered to be odd, with a more relaxed approach to diet and bed time than most Australian parents who I know.  Ironically, seatbelts, helmets, cot bumpers, peanuts and pools without fences are not really issues.  

Another challenge in my role as a mother in Lima is the fact that MY mother is so far away!  My family in Australia is extremely supportive of our choice to try life abroad, but Skype just doesn't quite bridge the communication gap.  My mother cared for Mikayla for two days a week from the time she was three months old and we frequently took her babysitting services for granted.  My husband's family over here is very loving towards Mikayla, but could never fulfill the role of my own family.

Fortunately, there is a silver lining to life in Lima. The most obvious one is home help.  For the tidy sum of 600 Peruvian soles (approximately US$200), one can hire the services of an “empleada” who will cook, clean, bath children, run errands, or any other task that is required of them.  Of course individual agreements vary, but this is the standard rate for someone to work up to 12 hours a day, six days a week.  The standard rate per month.  Each morning when I rise, I get ready for work then have a snuggle with my little one.  At about 7 am Mikayla, my husband and I go to the dining room, where our breakfast awaits us.  When I return from work in the afternoons, I play with Mikayla, we eat dinner together as a family then, after Mikayla goes to bed, my husband and I spend time together.  There is nothing else to be done!  Family time in Australia was constantly juggled around mundane household chores.

Another benefit of raising a child in Lima is the plethora of child-centred environments around.  Every fast-food restaurant has amazing play equipment for children, there are frequent shows and plays for young children, and the children's birthday parties are celebrated in more style than any 21st I've ever been to.  The apartment building where we live, rather than including a barbeque area for adults, has a play area for children.  

A final obvious advantage to raising a child in Peru is the fact that they have the opportunity to be exposed to a second language at an early age.  At just 18 months, Mikayla has an excellent level of receptive language skills in both English and Spanish, and uses vocabulary from both languages interchangeably.  As we nurture her language skills, we're very aware that being bilingual is something that will serve her throughout her life.  And she doesn't even have to try!

No, ten years ago I would never have envisaged my life as it is today.  Now living in Peru with a husband and toddler, with baby number two well and truly on the way, the one thing I am sure of is that wherever my family is, that's where I want to be.